Baton and handle



E. L. SIMPSON BATON AND HANDLE Filed Dec. 16, 1939 Syvum/vbo@ arlell. 5 111 507? @fw cmwi. W

, ing which Patented Dec. 3.1, 1940 UNITED STATES ,i PATENT oFFlcE The invention relates to a-baton for musical directors and the like, the word director being applied to drum c0rpsor other corps or musicians under personal leadership.

The leaders of orchestras and other corps of musicians wo-rk under a high degree of nervous tension and the movements performed indirectare emphasized by the rbaton or similar implement are exceedingly quick and in many instances emphatic. The attention of the director being, at the time, focused on the music and the duty of directing, Vit frequently'happens that the baton or stickl is dropped or thrown from the hand which occurrence is emb-arrassing and in some instance the `baton thus projected from the hand of the director hasinjured the eyes or other delicate exposed `members of the musicians or audience. e

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a directors stick or batonso arranged that it cannot be accidentally dropped or projected from the hand and by the motions incident to directing. y

In accordance with the invention, the grip or handle portion of the baton or stick is provided with a finger gripping device which is interchangeable and slidable `along the grip to suit the size proportions and habits of each individual director.

As the sticks which are generally employedfor this purpose are light andfragile and frequently broken, defaced or destroyed in the userto which they are subjected, they must be replaced at short intervals and it is of interest that these sticks are, in the construction shown, conveniently removable fromV thehandle or' grip for packing and replacement, a set of interchangeable sticks being in accordance with the preferred practice furnished with each handle or grip.

In the accompanying drawing, I have illustrated a preferred and modified construction embodying the features of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a. plan view of the baton in the preferred form, the same being broken away for convenience of illustration.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 in Fig. l, also broken away.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. l.

Fig. 4 is a section on an enlarged scale otherwise similar to Fig. 3, showing a ring or finger engaging means and a modified mounting for the same.

the leader of an orchestra, band or Fig. 5 is a plan View of the construction in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the stick removed. lfteferringto 'the drawing by numerals each of which is used to indicate the same or 4similar parts of the 'different figures, reference being had 5 to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the

`construction comprises va stick, rod or staff l, and a handle or grip 2.

'I he handle 2 as shown is bored or apertured at 4 in the direction of its axis, i. e., longitudinally 10 the -bore being preferably of a slightly larger diameter than the diameter of the exposed portion of the stick at 5, see Figs. 1 and 2.

In the preferred form shown in these figures, the forward end of the bore 4 is threaded in-` 15 ternally at 6 andthe bore at its rear end of the stick, which is of somewhat increased diameter,

is threaded at 1 to engage the internal thread 6 of the bore, the bore at the rear of the thread 6 being larger than the threaded portion 1 of the 20 stick. V

In the form shown in Figs. 1 to.3, the handle or .grip 2 is slotted atl 8 from the thread 6 atthe forward end to a hole or opening 9 near the rear end, the slot 8 extendingy from the outer surface 25 I tov the bore 4 and the hole 9 being of greater diameter than the width of the slot.

The rear end` of the bore 4Iin the form` shown isclosed by a screw plug I0 having a convex head Il which forms? the'rear v"end of the handleand- 30 'l the; 'screw` lextends forwardly ofy the hole 9 serving to close the same in the manner illustrated, it being noted that the hole'9 extends inwardly to the bore 4.

The finger ring or other finger gripping device 35 l2 is mounted by means of a shank or pin I4 on a ball l5 which is adapted toslide freely in the 'bore' 4 butr is too largetoescape through the 'slot 8 so that the pin I4 is free to turn wither in the ball l5, providing a swivel connection of 40 the ring to the ball.

To assemble the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 3 and 6, the forward end of the stick, rod or staff l is inserted from the rear into the bore 4, thel screw I0 being removed for this purpose. In the assembling operation the stick l is advanced until the thread 1 on its rear end meshes with the thread 6 or the inside of the bore and these threads are then engaged by rotating the stick 50 and handle one relatively to the other until the stick is vrigidly secured to the handle.

'Ihe ball I5 is then inserted through the hole 9, the shank I4 occupying the slot 8 and the screw Ill is threaded into the rear end .of the bore 55 Lspring gripping ring,

a hole 24 and the the a larger or a smaller ring is desired, the ring can,

be removed and replaced as described by loosening and retracting the screw IIJ removing.zball.l5 from bore 9 and inserting another ring assembly and ball and closing the opening Sby advancing the screw l 0. It will also be notedzthatf any finger gripping device can be substituted for the ring.

The director holding the baton by thehandle or grip 2 having his finger in the ring I2 can use his baton freely and give his undivided attention to` directing without any danger Whatever of dropping his stick or projecting. it toward the musicians or audience and in case of breakage of the stick it can be. easily replaced as the handle, as previously adjusted, can be used continuously during the consumption of any number of sticks.

Figs. 4 and l5 illustrate a slightly different form of the invention in which the grip 20 which corresponds to the grip 2 of Figs. 1 to 3 may be solid, the slidable ring 22 being mounted on a split which closely encircles the grip or handle 20 and is slidable thereon. The friction exerted by the ring being sufficient to hold it in place under normal conditions but not to prevent sliding.

In this construction the ring 22 which is shown as a band ring is mounted` on the gripping ring 25 by means of a pin 23 which extends through pin. 23 `is provided with a head 2L 4The lower end of the pin aty 2.1.is Wrapped around the ring 25A thus: giving the ring 22 a swivel mounting on the sliding ring, 25.

The ring or finger grip 22 is thus mounted to slide along thehandle Zilandv is provided. with a swivel engagementso that it may serve as afinger grip'which is .adjustable to the size and form of the hand and tothe habits ofthe director as to the manner in gripping the baton, and, While this construction: may be regarded as less attractive than` that ofJFigs. 1 and 3, it serves the purpose of providing a grip or attachment of the. baton to the handle which is adjustable tov al1. users and which will permit the director to. give his entire attention to directing eliminating to a large degree the danger of dropping the stickl or harmfully projecting it in the motion incident to directing.

handle and a finger forthe insertion and removal of a plug forclosing the rear end I have thus described a preferred and modified form of the invention, the description being specific and in detail in order that the manner of constructing, applying, operating and using the invention may be fully understood, however, the specific terms herein are used descriptively rather than in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being dened in the claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A directors' baton having a staff and a handle, elongated in the direction of the length of the staff, a finger grip carrier mounted for adjustment in the direction of the length of the encircling gripping device mounted on said carrier.

2; A* directors baton having a staff and a handle'for the staff elongated in the direction of the length of the staff, a finger grip carrier encircling the handle intermediately of its length and a finger encircling grip pivotly mounted on said carrier; y

3. In a directors baton having a. staff and a handle therefor elongated in the direction of the length of tudinal bore and a longitudinal slot connecting the bore with the outer surface, a finger grip carrier sliding in said bore, a shank extending outwardly from said carrier through said slot and a finge-r encircling grip 4f. In a directors baton having a staff and a handle therefor elongated in, the direction of the length of the staff, said handle having a longitudinal borer and a longitudinal slot connecting the bore with the outer surface of the handle, a finger grip carrier sliding in said bore, a shank extending outwardly from said carrier through said slot and a finge-r encircling grip mounted on said shank, the slot being enlarged at its rear end and forming an opening for the insertion and` removal of the carrier and a plug for closing the rear end of the bore and said opening.

5. In a directors baton having a staff and a handle therefor elongated in the direction of the length of the staff, said staff having a longitu# dinal bore and alongitudinal slot connecting the bore with the outer surface, a nger grip carrier sliding in said bore, a shank extending outwardly from said carrier through said slot and a finger encircling grip mounted on said being; enlarged at its rear end forming an opening the carrier and of the bore and said openingthe forward end of the bore extending outwardly through the handle and being- -threaded to engage the staff which is similarly threaded'.and adapted to be in threadedengagement. to the saidV bore from the rear and a plug for closing the bore and opening.

' EARLE L. SIMPSON.

the staff, said handle having a longishank the slot mounted on said shank. 

